


What We Have

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: I Know It Hurts 2020 [21]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Boys In Love, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Stephen Strange, Short & Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, whumptober2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26885464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Post-battle, Stephen and Tony take a minute to regroup.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: I Know It Hurts 2020 [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947541
Comments: 11
Kudos: 104





	What We Have

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Carrying

Stephen stumbled through the debris scattered across the battlefield, shaking his head a little as he made his way resolutely toward the place his magic had marked. He wasn’t particularly in a hurry; he’d already sent the Cloak to make sure there weren’t any serious injuries or worrisome signs.

Still, when he finally managed to maneuver around a rather large piece of a nearby building, relief bloomed in his chest even as a chuckle bubbled up from inside him. Tony was laying flat on his back, suit already in its housing unit, staring up at the bright blue sky. Wandering closer, Stephen found him with a cut on his forehead, sluggishly bleeding and bit of bruising already making itself known, and a slightly larger injury on his side that would likely need a bit of magical stitching.

Settling in the dust and dirt next to him, his own limbs feeling exhausted and sore, he raised one eyebrow when Tony finally shifted his eyes over to him, “hello doctor, nice seeing you here.”

Stephen sighed, “Tony, are you just enjoying the view, or do you have a concussion?”

“Bit of both,” he admitted on a quiet sigh. “Honestly, I’m just too tired to move.”

“We’re not as young as we used to be,” Stephen agreed.

“But we can still kick ass.”

Stephen chose not to point out that being flung through a building hardly counted as kicking ass. They all had their less then stellar performances and it was better not to get into a fight about that, too many embarrassing things could be brought up.

“Are you ready to go home or did you want to lay here awhile longer?”

That got Tony’s attention, “we can go home?”

Usually, Stephen has to stick around after a fight, shoring up wards and doing damage control…or more commonly, he needed to run off to Kamar-Taj for more research and meet-up with Wong. Not today though, today he’d been waved off, likely because Wong had seen the expression on Stephen’s face when his lover had gone flying.

“I’m a free agent.”

“Home it is!” Tony started to get up only to grimace and lay right back down.

Stephen had to stifle a laugh as he painstakingly got to his own feet.

“Just leave me here to die.”

“Sorry Tony but Pepper wouldn’t be impressed if I did that.”

He let out a put-upon sigh and Stephen reached out an arm, shaking his head. Tony finally reached up with a groan to grip Stephen’s forearms, ever mindful of his lover’s hands and used the leverage to struggle to his feet. The Cloak flared a little, keeping its sorcerer balanced until Stephen could finally pull Tony close and wrap a secure arm around his waist, a little higher than the wound in his side.

Tony leaned heavily against him and Stephen was assaulted with the smell of him, that familiar sweat and metal one that seemed to cling to his skin even after he’d showered and been doused in soap. It was so uniquely Tony that Stephen often found himself leaning into him and cuddling closer just so he could catch it, to remind himself that this was real and Tony was real…and there was no reason to be afraid that one day he’d wake and it was all a dream.

“Come on,” Stephen murmured.

A portal flared to life and he all but carried Tony through it, keeping his weight as light as possible. Wong and Rogers knew they’d be leaving, wouldn’t be left wondering where they were but still Stephen was impressed when Tony didn’t comment. He really was feeling it today.

They walked right off the battlefield and into Tony’s bathroom at Stark Tower. Stephen lowered him onto the edge of the tub and without a word, began tugging his shirt off as carefully as possible. Tony was smiling just a little and Stephen pretended not to see it. He knew how much he liked being taken care of sometimes, like when Stephen fussed over him and made sure he was alive and well…it had practically become a ritual at this point, one that should remain unspoken.

When his shirt had been removed and discarded somewhere on the floor, Stephen was finally able to see the injury in his side. It wasn’t serious, which he’d known, almost a flesh wound but one that still bleeding. Pressing a trembling hand against it and feeling Tony take a deep breath, Stephen whispered under his breath and felt the skin stitch back together beneath his hand. It certainly didn’t help his own exhaustion, but he didn’t care, his magic working gently to heal the man he loved.

When he straightened, it was to find Tony watching him through half-lidded eyes. The warmth he saw there, the appreciation was enough to make Stephen’s own heart skip a beat. They’d been busy these past few weeks, too busy to see each other as much as they would have liked and this felt like making up for eons of lost time.

Turning away, Stephen grabbed a washcloth and wetted it with warm water. Tony didn’t say a word as Stephen began the slow process of wiping away the dirt and grime from his skin, the blood crusting on his forehead. Later there would be time for a proper shower, for both of them, but for now, all they wanted with their aching limbs, was to slip into bed and pretend they could sleep for weeks.

When Stephen was finally done, tossing the rag away, all it took was a twist of his aching wrist and his own clothes had shifted into something more casual, the Cloak slipping away to settle in the bedroom.

Tony hummed, “impressive.”

Stephen rolled his eyes and took his hand, tugging him up from where he still sat on the tub, “its nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“I know,” he said, smiling to himself.

Stephen shook his head and began heading for the bedroom only for Tony to bring him to a stop, hands gentle in his, “I’ve missed you.”

“I know,” he teased.

“Really,” Tony’s eyes had grown serious, intense in a way that used to startle him. “I always miss you.”

This wasn’t usual, not when they’d had a rough day and maybe even a rough week, but it still made Stephen’s heart swell, “I know,” he repeated, sincere this time. “I know.”


End file.
